


Kids At Night

by AutumnBlueWylde



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drug Use, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2019-10-10 18:31:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17431244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnBlueWylde/pseuds/AutumnBlueWylde
Summary: A famous-by-proxy new girl starts at a prestigious academy, but doesn't quite get the warm welcome she anticipates from an old friend. Will anyone else be more accommodating?Tensions are high, school is boring but the night life can be electrifying. Parties, drinking, drugs. Friendships and relationships will be tested to breaking point. Adolescence is a rollercoaster, and you must be this high to ride.Throw magic into the mix and everything is that much more exciting.





	1. Cana

**Author's Note:**

> An AU in which the guilds don't exist. The characters all attend one school. The Veneficus Academy Of Magickal Arts.  
> I'm English, so to keep things simple, Lucy, Natsu, Gray etc are in 6th form, 16 going on 17. This isn't going to be some Harry Potter thing. No "Chosen One to save the world" arc. It's more Mean Girls meets Skins meets Gossip Girl with some magic thrown in to add to the fun.  
> I will warn readers now, it will contain mature content. Drug use, sex, violence, death etc.  
> I DO NOT condone drug use. I have taken certain 'party drugs' in the past. I will use these experiences, and those of my friends, to add to the realism.  
> This wont necessarily be a dark, moody fic, but emotions are turbulent in young adults. Add drugs and sex to the mix and everything can go awry from time to time.  
> I decided to make the exceeds normal cats. More so that they're familiars, instead of acting like students.  
> As it stands, this isn't finished. I will try and upload at least once a week, because I want this to be good.  
> Please, feel free to comment, I appreciate feed back in any form. I'm on Instagram if anyone wants to message me privately with suggestions. @your.raven.queen  
> I will be adding more character tags as I go along.  
> Thanks for reading!

The Veneficus Academy Of Magickal Arts, for ages 11 to 18. Where Mages from all over Fiore came to study practical and theoretical Magick. Set deep in the dense woodland of outer Magnolia, the repurposed 11th century English Gothic country house was shrouded in mystery for the Regulars. But for the Magick users of the world, it was the most coveted educational facility in all of Earthland.

 

"Lucy Heartfilia will be joining your class next term, children." The teacher announced.

_Jesus,_ Cana thought, _even this news can't make Ms Sylvester any less fucking boring._ Even though there was a ripple of excitement through the room.  
Evergreen popped her gum behind Cana, who turned to look at the young woman. Twirling her hair, staring at her phone, ever present bored look on her face. Obviously, she wasn't going to be impressed. This was _her_ little kingdom, and she would be dammned if anyone usurped her.

The bell rang, the class all but jumped to their feet and rushed for the door.

The hallway was crowded quickly. Whispers filtered through the flow of bodies.

"Layla's daughter..."

"... so sad that she's gone..."

"...basically a celebrity..."

Cana didn't stop to listen to anyone in particular. She just let the bullshit wash over her as she made her way to the cafeteria. The sounds of the rumour mill churning, and locker doors slamming turning to white noise as she tuned it all out.

"Ca- NAAAAAA." Someone screamed right behind her ear. She jumped and and grabbed the offenders tongue.

"Goddamnit, Nastu!" She yelled in his face. He was crouched, even though he wasn't actually that much taller than her. He grinned, tongue still in her grasp, and gave an impish wave. "What do you want?"

"Juft fo fay hi." She let go. "Gah. Hello." He stood to his full height. Cana put her hands on her hips, unconvinced.

"Whatever." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and took her place in the queue for her lunch. Tasteless, sticky pasta in a watery, tasteless sauce.

Natsu frowned after her and strode to catch up.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" He grabbed a tray and set it next to hers on the counter infront of the huge array of beige food.

This time, she grabbed his cheeks and brought his face down to her level. His eyes, while comically bulged, were genuinely concerned for his friend. She was never this down. Or pissed off. Or grabby.

"Whuh du fuh?"

"Don't talk about my panties, dude." She shoved his face away as the lunch lady slopped the pasta onto her tray. Then his. Her face twisted in disgust. A grin spread across his, furthering her disdain. _That boy will literaly eat anything._

"Pssht. Okay, grumpy." He rolled his eyes and rubbed absently at his cheeks. There was red marks where her fingers dug in to his flesh. They quickly paid and made their way over to their usual table.

Gray was angling his fork to flick the sad excuse for carbonara at Gajeel across the table. Cana clipped him on the back of his head.

He sucked a breath in through his teeth. "Ow!" The ice mage rubbed the back of his head. "Jeez Cana, what the hell?"

She just stuck her tongue out at him, her face resembling that of a bulldog chewing a wasp as Natsu offered an explanation.

"She's in a pissy mood, man," he said around a mouthful of the pasta, making a face at the taste of it, "ignore her." Cana harrumphed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not eating this shit." She pushed her tray away, leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Seriously," Natsu grabbed her tray, much to the disgust of everyone else at their table, "what the fuck is up with you? You were fine in bio earlier." He shovelled more of the foul lunch into his face.

Cana couldn't hide her distaste. "You're a pig, Natsu."

Under the table, Happy wended his way through her legs, also sensing that something wasn't quite right. Lily was being unusally affectionate also, actually sitting next to her. Something neither dragon slayers familiars ever did. She absently scratched the black cat's head.

Gray, Gajeel and Natsu just stared at her. Clearly not dropping this until she spoke.

She huffed out a sigh, dropping her shoulders as she explained the announcement at the end of her form period. It didn't help that she hated the kids in her form group. Evergreen and the rest of her little posse always made her irate. Bickslow was a pervert, Freed was a stuck up ass and Laxus was just a dick.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter." She said, pushing back from the table and skulking out of the cafeteria before any of her friends could get up to stop her.

But Natsu wasn't convinced. He knew Cana had grown up in the same neighbourhood as Lucy Heartfilia. He stared after her, but knew she needed some time. He shrugged at Gray and Gajeel, all the direction they needed to leave it, and Cana, alone. He'd sort it out.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
When the last bell rang, Cana couldn't get out of her seat fast enough to leave. She swiped her books into her burlap backpack and bolted for the rear door. It was a fire door, she wasn't supposed to use it, but didn't really care. She was out the door, leaving it banging on the hinges, and half way towards the gate before she heard the Maths teacher calling after her. 

"Shut up, you old bag." Cana muttered to herself, hefting her backpack up on her shoulder. It was then that she heard the footsteps pounding the path behind her. She would know the cadence of that run even if she were half deaf. "Go away, Natsu."

He paused mid stride and frowned.

"Seriously, Cana. What the fuck is up with you today?"

She didn't even look back as she said "Lucy Heartfilia." He caught back up with her and fell into step as she explained. "You know we grew up together, right?" He nodded, she sighed, "Well, we used to be close. Before her mom got all famous. She was always rich, her Dad was a merchant. But when her mom started getting more and more famous, Lucy decided she was too good for me."

"So, you guys had a fight?" Natsu scratched his head.

"Not really? Not like, a physical one. But she became an entitled brat. Bossing other kids in the neighbouhood around, being mean. Just general dick behaviour." She sighed again, "I called her out on it one day in primary school. The teachers didn't do shit because of who her parents were. She went full bitch and spread a load of rumours around."

"Oh."

"Yeah, that's why I came here," she gestured to the building they were still walking along side. "She was going to some fancy boarding school in Caelum, those rumours wouldn't follow me here."

"Wow. I'm sorry, Cana." The fire mage said, hugging her from the side as they walked.

"Whatever. It was years ago." She shrugged him off.

"You going to be okay?" He asked, inclining his head in the opposite direction; Gajeel, Wendy and Laxus waiting for him.

"I'll be fine Natsu. Go." She pushed him towards the other dragon slayers, grinning so he'd believe her. He grinned back, elongated canines glinting in the watery afternoon light.

She lifted a hand to wave without turning back around, and carried on out of the gates.

"Shouldn't you be with the other slayers?" She asked as she crossed the threshold.

"Not today," Cobra coughed, "I'm sick." He walked next to her as she made her way across the road towards her car.

Cana rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you guys don't get sick." She opened the back door of her black mini and threw her bag in. She tilted her head towards the other side, a silent invitation.

After they were both in the car, doors shut, Cobra opened a small plastic bag. An almost fruity smell filled the air. If that fruit had a bitter kick to it.  
"You have skins?" Cobra asked as Cana turned the engine over.

"In the glove box." She reached over his lap to open it. CD's, notebooks, some sweets and a book came flying out, all over Cobra. "Sorry." She winced, pulling out of her spot. Cana leaned down to pick the stuff up.

"Don't you dare!" Cobra cried. "Watch the road you crazy bitch!" He laughed. Which made her laugh. Being around Cobra always made her feel better. He was almost as good a friend as Natsu, but she didn't feel so uptight about her _habits_ around him. Natsu loved her, and she him, but he didn't half make her feel stupid for liking to unwind with a drink or a joint. Plus, Cobra sold some pretty dope shit. Her favourite being one that smelled like bubblegum.

He finished putting the last of the stuff in the glove box, keeping hold of the book. Reading the blurb. The light bounced off the iridescent purple cover, catching Cana's eye. She looked over.

"What the shit is this?" He asked her, "'Unless you count the part where I killed her'? Dark man."

She yanked it from him and shoved it back in the glove box, slamming it closed. "Are you going to roll?"

"Pffft. Fine." He got to work building the joint.

Cana couldn't cope with the silence, so she turned the radio on. Blasting Wake Up by Hed PE. She managed to get the window down when she pulled up to a red light. The lyrics throughly offending the two sweet old ladies waiting to cross. They shook their heads in admonishment. Cana just cackled, and pulled off before they'd finished crossing, their skirts lifting slightly in the updraft her car caused.

"That's illegal, you know." Cobra commented, not looking up from the skins, tobacco and weed combination in his hands. "Running a red light, I mean." He licked the gummy side of the skin, sealing it, and putting it behind his pointed ear for later.

"Whatever, Heisenberg." She laughed.

"Heisenberg cooked meth, dumbass." He turned the radio down a bit, but not enough so they couldn't hear the next song. 

"Still a hypocrite, _dumbass_ " She jeered, sticking her tongue out at him. She was pulling into her driveway. 

Her father, Gildarts, was a professor at the academy, so he wouldn't be back for a few hours. The climbed out of the car. Slamming the door more agressively than necessary, Cana headed for the side gate, Cobra followed. The pathway along the side of the house lead them to the expanisve back garden. The immaculate emerald lawn was vivid in the early summer sun. The stalked throught the grass towards Cana's childhood treehouse. Far enough away from the house that her dad couldn't smell what they were up to. Or hear.  
Cana made Cobra go up the ladder first. Knowing full well what his one good eye would be watching if she did.

The interior was nice. The previous summer she'd somehow roped Natsu and Gray into helping her renovate it. They'd replaced the rotten beams, painted it white and fired paintball guns at it. They'd also managed to get a fold out couch and a few bean bags up, to make it comfy. It also meant Cana fell asleep in there way too frequently.  
She dropped her self onto the couch, helping herself to one of the cans of beer she'd hidden in a cold store Gray made for her, she offered one to Cobra, he declined.  
"Thank God it's Friday, amirite?" She remarked, swigging her can. Digging in the cushions for a lighter.

"Abso-fucking-lutely." Cobra replied, sprawled between two bean bags. Cana chucked him the lighter, he caught it and lit the joint, taking a long drag before passing it to the card mage. "Any plans tonight?" He asked, leaning forward to sit up properly.

"Bacchus is meant to be coming over." She took a drag.

Cobra raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up." She scolded him, taking another toke before passing it back to Cobra.

"I didnt say anything!" He raised his hand, the other taking the smoke.

"Whatever. He's in my physics class. He said he'd help with the thing." The smoke was already effecting her. "Man," she drawled, "that's good."

They carried on like that, puffing and passing. Having to relight the joint a couple times before it was finished. Somewhere half way through, Cana had made Cobra help her pull out the folding couch so they could flop onto it. They had lay opposite ends, heads next to each other, so their smokey breaths mingled above them as they talked about everything and nothing, even after they'd finished their joint.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Before she knew she'd even fallen asleep, she was waking up.

"Shit!" She shouted, grabbing her phone to look at the time. It was dark out, silvery light filtering through the lace she'd hung on the windows the previous summer.

"What?!" Cobra shot straight up. He relaxed his shoulders and rubbed his eyes when he realised where he was. He yawned. "What time is it?"

"Oh fuck me." She breathed, visibly relaxing.

"Woah, slow down there." Cobra smirked, lazily, laying back down.

"Shut up, arsenic breath." Cana sneered, getting a huffed laugh from Cobra in return. "It's only 7. Bacchus isn't coming til 8. It's fine." She got up and stalked to the hole in the floor leading to the ladder down. "I'm getting a shower. You staying or?"

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her off, putting his arms behind his head.

"I invted Natsu and that around too. Keep an ear out for them!" She yelled up as she crossed the lawn into the house.


	2. Cobra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thing's take an interesting turn when parents unexpectedly leave for the weekend. Don't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to Get Smashed Gate Crash by Hadouken! while writing some of this and it really sets the tone for a bit of it. It's also just a great tune.

3 bastarding minutes. That's all Cobra got before Natsu vaulted the gate and bolted up the tree house ladder.

Confusion spread across the fire dragon slayers face as derision descended the poison slayer's.

Natsu sniffed. "Indica?" He queried

"Sativa." Cobra replied. "Durban Poison." He clarified as the voices coming from the garden got closer.

"Jesus," Gray popped up through the floor first. "It reeks of weed up here. Oh." His eyes locked onto Cobra, instantly explaining the smell. Apparently. And _apparently_ 'Natsu and that' consisted of way more people than the treehouse could accommodate. And by the time Cana returned, half their class had gathered on the lawn. Murmuring between themselves. An awkward tinge to the air.

Cobra dropped down the ladder in one motion to confront Cana as she crossed the lawn, her hair still damp from the shower.

"The fuck is happening?" He asked her, arm sweeping to indicate that he meant the massive influx of people.

"Dad has gone to a teaching con with Makarov for the weekend. He left a note on the fridge and a hundred Jewel on the side," she shrugged, "So I texted a few people, and, well..." She trailed off, her gaze going from person to person.

"So... Party?" He asked, an eyebrow quirking.

"Party!" She grinned.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He had to hand it to Cana. She could pull together a good night in less than an hour. Granted the garden was already kitted out with fairy lights and the gazebo was a pop up. But still.

He really wasn't kidding about half their class turning up though. Bacchus turned up with Rocker, Warcry and Jager, both the kid and the drink. Natsu and Gray had talked Gajeel and Levy into joining them. And wherever Gray was, Juvia was never far behind. Lyon and Sherry were hanging around by the outdoor bar, along with Toby and Yuka. Sting and Rogue were messing with the panel by the pool, a roar of cheers went up from the crowded garden as they managed to get the cover to recede.

"Pool party!" Sting all but screamed. It was met with more cheers.

Cobra, at this point, was lounging on one of the reclining chairs on the tiled poolside. It was a warm night, so he had left his coat in Cana's bedroom.

The space around him glowed a soft blue as someone got the pool lights on, and around him lit up as the electric sconces on the walls started to glow.

Music drifted into the open space, Cobra couldn't quite hear it over the noise of his class mates dragging kegs through the side gate, or clanking beer bottles together. A massive amount of alcohol appeared from seemingly nowhere and the atmosphere was electric.

People had started stripping to their underwear, jumping into the pool. Others were gathering around the fire pit that Natsu had _somehow_ gotten going, on the other side of the pool.

Cobra put his hands on his legs to brace himself getting up when he felt something in his pocket.

A smile played at the corner of his lips while he made his way over to Cana, who was standing at the edge of the make shift dancefloor in the gazebo with Natsu and Gray flanking her.

"Hey." She smirked at him as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I have pills." He moved back, a full grin on his mouth now. A grin that Cana mirrored as she grabbed his wrist and yanked him towards the now empty treehouse.

The fairy lights cast a flickering rainbow across the plain purple pull out couch where both Cobra and Cana sat themselves.

"So," Cana asked, "pills?"

"Yes." Cobra said, standing to rummage in his pockets. He produced the baggy filled with little pink pills shaped like love hearts, and dropped it into her cupped, waiting hands "A big ol' bag of x. I need to sell at least half to make what I owe to Brain for the bag."

"No one here takes them but us." Cana pointed out.

"Sting and Rogue might?" Cobra shrugged. "Bacchus wont but Rocker probably will."

Cana sighed, hanging her head and taking out her phone.

"Who are you texting?" He eyed her lightning fast thumbs.

"Evergreen. Her and Laxus will probably buy some. Means the others will come too though." She put her phone back in her pocket.

"Others?" Cobra noted the tone, she didn't really want to invite these people, but was willing to, to help him out. He knew she was aware of how much he hated owing Brain money, but it was his own fault for agreeing to sell for him. More his own fault for taking half the stash most of the time.

"Yeah," Cana rubbed a hand down her face, "Bickslow, Freed, the Strauss siblings. Blah blah blah."

Cobra just grinned. "Could be fun?"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

In the few hours between Cana texting Evergreen and the point where Cobra was actually stoned enough to socialise, they had managed to sell enough pills to give Brain what he was owed. With that weight off his shoulders, Cobra relaxed into the atmosphere and actually had a good night. Laxus had indeed bought some of the pills. Bickslow too.

He flitted between groups of kids, hung by the pool, by the bar, in the kitchen. He had full conversations about nothing with people he'd never talked to before; never had any interest in talking to before.

He was manic. He could feel it. But it was euphoric. Everything felt like liquid life between his fingers. Everyone was bathed in halos of gold and pink and blue and green. The music sounded heavenly and his magic had shut itself off.

He was completely unencumbered by souls and feelings. For once, he could focus on himself, without being assaulted by everyone else's emotions. Something he always panicked about with these kinds of situations.

What felt like minutes passed in a blur of music and laughter and shots and keg stands and canon balls into the pool. Someone had hotboxed the shed, smoke seeping out from under the door. Evergreen and Elfman had disappeared upstairs at least an hour previous. People were dotted all over the property, a plate smashed in the kitchen, clapping and wooping rang out into the massive garden.

Someone had thrown up in one of the plants by the pool, and Cobra thought that was hilarious. Steam was rising from the pool, caused by the sheer amount of bodies in the water.  
Before long, the sun was bleeding orange into a purple sky. Stars were winking out. Elfman and Evergreen had returned from their escapade and fallen asleep on one of the reclining pool chairs. Juvia and Lyon were still floating on lilos in the pool. Bickslow had passed out spooning a lawn flamingo.

"Why do you even have lawn flamingos?" He had asked Cana when she'd pointed the blue haired boy out, cackling.

"Oh my God," she laughed, holding her sides, "I don't even know! I don't think we do!" She laughed harder at the prospect of him having pilfered the ornament from a neighbour. An impressive feat, Cobra noted, given that they were on a private estate, a good 20 minute walk from any neighbours. He fell about laughing too.

He was wiping tears from his eye when he noticed Cana had lay on the grass, the dawn sun already warming the turf. He lay himself next to her, his head by hers, but his body pointing the other way. A few others who managed to stay awake gradually joined until they were a circle on the lawn. Bacchus the other side of Cana, Sting, Rogue, Gray, Natsu, Yukino, all lay with them. Most of them still riding the high he'd sold them, the others just tipsy.

To Cobra, the edges of his life were a fuzzy velvet hug. Colours were more vibrant and he'd never felt more alive than in this moment.

"This summer is going to be awesome." Cana yawned.

"Yeah," Cobra conceded, closing his eye. And he drifted off to the sounds of everyone making plans for the next six weeks.

He woke only a few hours later. Bickslow was still spooning the flamingo. At some point in the night (early morning...) Cana had curled into Bacchus, who draped an arm over her. Juvia and Lyon had gotten out of the pool, but fell asleep on the lilos under the gazebo. Elfman and Evergreen had moved, though. Everyone else was tangled up in each other on the lawn.

In the kitchen, he helped himself to a glass of water. X always gave him dry mouth. It was made much worse by the fact he'd been smoking too. And the dull thud in the back of his head indicated he'd also been drinking. His lacrima didn't metabolise as quickly when he smoked, so getting drunk was much easier.

He settled on the sofa in the living room, the front one, the back one had been occupied by the missing Elfman and Evergreen; and flicked through the music channels until he settled on one, before dozing back off.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was the smell of bacon that woke him up. It was the noise from the kitchen that kept him awake. He looked at the clock on the mantlepiece. 3pm. _Jesus._ Then looked down at himself. Someone had thrown a blanket over him. _Thanks, I guess._ He took it off, folding it over the back of the sofa. And made his way out to the kitchen.

Most everyone had left. Only he, Natsu, Gray, Levy, Gajeel and Bacchus remained. And of course, Cana. Who was currently cooking the worlds biggest pile of bacon, and pancakes. He could smell pancakes. And he could hear humming coming from her.

"Is that the bacon pancakes song from 'Adventure Time'?" Everyone turned to look at him. But Cana spoke first.

"Morning sunshine!" She trilled, "And yes it is." She stuck her tongue out.

"Loser." He teased. "What's everyone doing?"

"Eating." Natsu said through a face full of pancake batter.

"That is fucking disgusting." Cobra laughed.

"You couldn't even wait for her to cook it, flame brain?" Gray chided.

"Of course not," Gajeel's gravelly voice cut in, "He's never waited more than 30 seconds for food."

Natsu just grinned. Batter slid down his teeth. Levy recoiled in visible disgust and Bacchus just lost his shit laughing. Which caused everyone to laugh.

When Cana finally set all the cooked food on the table in the middle of the kitchen, everyone thanked her, and dug in.

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing video games, occasionally slipping out back for a spliff, and just general conversation, about school, about what subjects they all considered taking when they went back for 6th form. About how they felt they did on their year 11 finals in the weeks previous.

Until Cana decided to kick everyone out. But not before offering Cobra a lift home.

"Nah," He said, scuffing his shoe through the gravel ion the drive, "thanks. There's a bus soon."

She shrugged, "Okay. See you monday." She said after him as he walked away.

"See ya." He half shouted back without even turning his head. But he smiled.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He wasn't sure why he thought school would be any different. Yeah, the weekend had been awesome. He'd gotten to know people on another level, but that's just it. He was on another level. School was still school. He was still the weirdo burnout who smoked pot in the bike sheds, who decided to be a _poison_ dragon slayer, of all things.

Of course it would be back to normal on Monday morning, everyone was sober, hating class, the status quo had been restored, and Cobra was back to being an outsider. Fine.  
He snarled his way through the lessons. Even teachers were unwilling to call on him as he slept through maths and English. Science was different. He actually enjoyed bio, not actively, but enough to genuinely pay attention.

The week was dragging. When Friday came, they'd be free. Six weeks of sun and who knew what else. But first, he had to get through lunch. He was heading for his usual bicycle rack when he spotted Cana and Bacchus meandering from the art block up towards the side gate.

It wasn't that he was jealous. He had never been interested in Cana in that way. But seeing them together pulled at something in his chest. She was the closest thing he'd had to a best friend since Kinana had moved to a different school. Kinana being his actual best friend. She had been since they were children. She was like his sister. Cana hadn't been a replacement, more a balm for the sting he felt whenever he thought about Kinana and what she might be up to. Sure, they still spoke, occasionally, when she wasn't out with her new boyfriend or staying over with her new friends, or catching up with school work.

Whenever he caught himself feeling nostalgic, he'd text the card mage and they'd go for a smoke. Knowing full well how her dad treated her. Going off for days at a time with nothing more than a note and a stack of cash. Of course, at this point in time, she was clearly busy.

"Whatever." He mumbled to himself, sparking the joint already poised between his lips. He took a drag and dropped his back pack, sliding to the floor along side it. He rubbed one hand down his face. Sighing as he exhaled the noxious smoke. Another drag. The weight of his loneliness lifting slightly. "Fuck everyone."

Just as he was ready to write the world off, everyone a total waste of time, the door to the bike shed slammed open.

"Told you." He heard Cana say. He looked up, and there she was, one hand on a hip, the other in Bacchus's.

"Okay, you win." Bacchus replied.

Cobra was puzzled.

"We couldn't find you in the canteen. So I told Bacchus you'd be here. He didn't believe anyone would be so ballsy to smoke on school property." Cana explained.

"But here we are." Bacchus all but grinned at Cobra.

"Okay? But why were you looking for me in the first place?" Cobra asked, taking another hit, before offering the joint to Cana. She took it, dropping her bag next to his and joining him on the floor. He stared at her, he hadn't actually expected her to sit with him. Bacchus sat the other side of her.

"To hang out, dumbass." Cana said, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. She offered the spliff to Bacchus, but he declined. Cana shrugged and passed it back to Cobra.

They had actually sought him out. And when they couldn't find him, _went looking for him._ More surprising was that Cana knew which bike shed he was in. Hiding in the year 8 one made the most sense. It was the furthest from the teachers lounge on the other side of campus. It was up a little hill and hardly any of the year 8's cycled. Still getting lifts from mummy or daddy.

He felt... he wasn't sure. He felt known. He felt things he hadn't since before Kinana left.

This summer would be very, very interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I said at the start they were already in 6th form but I started this with them at the end of year 11, I forgot until I was editing. Sorry.


	3. Warehouse - Natsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer has arrived. And with it, plans. Natsu is lost, but a call to Cana changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this arc is going to have a lot going on, I was going to do a side story, but I don't want to confuse anyone with the timeline. Especially me, it happens. So I'll be doing it in sections, still from one POV at a time.

Natsu threw his arms up in exasperation, leaning back hard in his gaming chair. The cord on his head set too short and his neck jolted painfully as it snapped taut. He choked. Causing Gray and Gajeel to laugh mercilessly, costing them the round on the FPS game.

"Thanks guys." He moped. He switched the game off.

"Hey!" The others shouted in unison.

"We lost, get over it." Natsu shoved himself out of the chair. He rubbed his neck as he removed the headset."Alexa," the device in the corner flashed, "shuffle Cana's playlist." He hadn't known how to set up the Echo when he got it. Cana had one, so he got her to do it.

'Shuffling your playlist Cana.'

 _She definitely knows her music,_ Natsu thought to himself as Dragonforce blasted through the room. She'd put so many songs on there, he almost never heard the same one twice.

Gray and Gajeel pushed up from their spots on the floor and followed Natsu into the kitchen. The Echo was connected to his speakers, which he had around their flat, Lisanna and Elfman had to set them up, he really was shit with technology. Everything but his xBox left him helpless. Even his phone was an old burner.

Gajeel helped himself to a beer from the fridge, chucking one to both Natsu and Gray.

"So," a shirtless Gray leaned on the kitchen counter. It jutted out into the middle of the room, splitting the kitchen in two, Gajeel and Gray were one side, Natsu the other. All three boys cracked their cans, one after the other. Gray slurped from his and continued his thought, "what's the plan for the rest of today?"

"There isn't much of 'today' left, dude." Gajeel replied, swigging from his own drink.

"Yeah," Natsu said, "It's almost seven." He down his entire beer in one go.

"Wow." The shirtless ice mage widened his eyes in mock surprise, lifting his can to his mouth.

"What?" Natsu and Gajeel asked in unison, the former turning to search the garden behind him, half expecting to catch a glimpse of wavy blue hair darting between the bushes.

Gray waved a dismissing hand, while still chugging his beer. "Not her," he wiped his lips, "you guys. I didn't realise you were so old." When they just stared blankly at him, he continued. "Right, we've been out of school for a week. We have our own place, paid for by the school since we were 'wards of the state' and they are giving us an allowance. So we have money, we don't have to be up tomorrow. Surely there's something happening tonight?"

It was true. Since they three of them didn't have parents, along with a lot of the rest of the school, they didn't have anywhere to go after the term ended, they were placed into sheltered accommodation, and given a weekly allowance for food. Before they turned 16, they were in the foster care system, with the school's headmaster as their legal guardian. But now, with the summer under way, they were their masters of their own time.

And Gray had a point. So Natsu texted Cana, Gajeel got hold of Levy and within an hour, they found them selves at a small, old warehouse on the outskirts of Magnolia.  
Natsu tried to count the amount of people waiting outside, the beat from inside pulsing through his boots, reverberating in his knees. Lights were flashing in the windows at knee height.

"How did you even find out about this?" He asked Cana, who was smoking a normal cigarette for once.

"I have my ways." She winked, blowing a puff of smoke the opposite direction. Natsu knew that meant Cobra.

"I thought you were dating Bacchus?" He quizzed.

"I am." She replied coolly. 

"So then why are you still hanging out with Cobra?" Natsu had a talent for being blunt, even when he wasn't trying. And he'd made his feelings on Cobra pretty obvious on more than one occasion.

Cana dropped her cigarette on the floor and ground the still smoking butt out with her heeled boot. "Because he's actually a decent guy, Natsu. If anyone gave him half a chance, you'd know. You all had fun at mine the other week. Why cant it just be like that again?" She turned on her heel and headed for the doorway, nodding at the guy seated next to it, he allowed her straight in. Half the line started shouting and bitching about it.

She sure had a way of making Natsu feel like shit. It wasn't _his_ fault Cobra was always a jerk. He'd joined the academy late, and made a point of growling at literally everyone. Natsu and Gray had actually tried to make an effort with him. But one mention of his eye, and he'd lost his shit. He'd gone as far as trying to poison Natsu, but Gray saw what was happening and froze him. He'd only been able to pull that off because Cobra was too riled up to use his soul listening magick.

After that, they pretty much steered clear. And then when Cobra all of a sudden mellowed out, Natsu realised he was smoking pot. Which was more reason to stay away.  
What he couldn't understand was why Cana started. But at least she only smoked. Cobra had gotten mixed up with one of the gangs in Fiore, and had started selling drugs to get out of debt. Natsu didn't know too many details.

"The less you know about it, the better." Cana had told him when he asked about their friendship in year 10. Heavy shit to be mixed up in at 15.  
Natsu rolled his shoulders out, and strolled over to his friends.

"Ready?" Gray asked. Natsu and Gajeel nodded. Levy looked a bit sick. But that was normal for the bookworm. If she was any place other than a library.

At the door, they gave their names, the bouncer waved them through. Which again started the queue off shouting. Cana had some serious pull here, and while grateful, Natsu couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about that.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
They stepped through the entry way, went down a hallway, music rising to meet them. They found them selves on a balcony, over looking an enormous under ground store room. The cavernous room under the warehouse was set up much like Cana's tree house. Bean bags littered the floor, a lot were bunched up in the corners, or lining the walls. People Natsu recognised lounged across them. The middle of the room was a congregation of bodies, writhing in time to the music.

Lights and lasers flashed across in time to the song that Natsu recognised as Gold Dust by DJ Fresh. There was no bar. But rather, girls in outrageous rave gear selling shots from trays slung over their neon painted shoulders. Some were just selling water, which seemed to be going down better than the alcohol.

Juvia appeared next to them. Causing Gray to jump.

"Shit!" He yelped. Setting Natsu and Gajeel into a laughing fit, "Don't do that!"

She blushed, but didn't say anything. Gray thought he was being sneaky, but Natsu clocked the ice mage taking the blue haired girls hand. They disappeared down into the crowd first. Gajeel and Levy followed pretty soon after. Natsu stayed where he was. Just observing. 

He spotted more of his class mates.

Bickslow, Freed, Evergreen had commandeered about 12 of the beanbags in one corner. They were joined by Laxus, obviously. And the Strauss triplets.

_So, Lisanna is here. _He thought to himself, a feral smile tugged at his lips as he pushed away from the balcony, and headed down the metal stairs into the throng of pulsing bodies.__

__He pushed his way through, getting warmer with every step. The air down here was heavy, and damp. It sucked at his energy. No wonder those bottles of water were selling so well. And as if he'd summoned her, one of the girls in luminous rave garb passed him a bottle of water. He shoved some Jewel in her hand and drank as if he'd been stuck in a desert for a year. It had a tang to it, but he figured that was the sweat from his upper lip leaking into it._ _

__He drained the bottle and replaced the cap as he pushed back out of the crowd and found who he was looking for._ _

__"Natsu!" Lisanna screeched. It was much quieter in this corner. He allowed himself to grin properly as she flung herself into his arms._ _

__He wrapped himself around her, lowering them to a beanbag, settling her on his lap. He chucked his empty water bottle onto the floor with a stack of others._ _

__Bickslow started laughing wildly. Freed smirked and the others gaped._ _

__"What?" Natsu was thoroughly lost._ _

__"Where'd you get that water?" Laxus asked him, a flash of mirth crossed his face._ _

__"I dunno, some girl in the crowd. She was wearing neon pink fluffy boots." He was stroking Lisanna's velvet skirt. He'd never felt anything so soft, or lovely._ _

__"Let me see your eyes." Evergreen demanded from next to him. He was a bit taken aback by her abruptness, so he complied. Opening his eyes wider to stare at her. "Yep."_ _

__Bickslow laughed so hard he nearly choked. Natsu wanted to be mad but he started laughing too. Then everyone was laughing._ _

__"Man," Elfman started, "That water is laced." He was still laughing._ _

__Evergreen passed him a mirror. He gazed into his own eyes. His pupils had dilated so much that he couldn't see any colour at the edges at all.  
He passed the mirror back. "Laced with what?"_ _

__"Mandy." Bickslow said at the same time Elfman said "Molly" And Laxus said "MDMA"._ _

__Natsu blinked slowly. He still couldn't find it in himself to be angry. So he threw his head back and cackled. Causing everyone else to laugh too.  
They were calming down as Cana and Cobra came to join them._ _

__"What's so funny?" Cana asked, dropping into a chair across from Natsu._ _

__"Coal for brains accidentally spiked himself." Laxus deadpanned._ _

__Cana and Cobra's eye's snapped to Natsu's. "What." Cana said as Cobra burst into laughter._ _

__"It was like my energy was being sucked out of my body in that crowd." Natsu chuckled._ _

__"So you drank water from a bottle that has a massive smiley face on it?" Cana looked mad, but a mad that was concern more than anger. Natsu hadn't even looked at the label, he'd just drank. He shrugged. Still grinning. Still stroking Lisanna's skirt._ _

__He could feel the music. It was tangible in the air around him. He couldn't hear anything but the song. Before he knew it, he was in that throng of bodies again, having dragged Lisanna with him._ _

__Drums pounded through his veins. They moved in time with the electricity in the air, in time with the hundreds of people around them. Lisanna had her back to him, pressed close. He had his hands on her waist, they were undulating. Pulsing with the rest of the crowd.. And he had never felt so good. Lisanna had never felt so good against him. He growled against her ear._ _

__She turned. Her arms were around his neck. The beat was building up. Up. Up. It dropped and she pulled him against her. Her lips against his and he never wanted that moment to end._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music heavily influences what I write.  
> This scene, I was listening to Konichi. Afraid and Contraband.


	4. Warehouse - Bickslow/Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rave continued

Bickslow watched as pink and silver hair disappeared into the crowd. The others around him gradually joined them. But he just didn't have the energy yet. He'd left his totems at home, so his sense of security was thrown right off. A girl in fluffy pink boots offered him a bottle of water. He accepted, handing her the money for it with a wink, and a tongue lolling smile. She giggled and then left. Looking for her next sale.

He finshed his water, and dropped the bottle on the pile, and scrubbed his hands down his face. Movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Everyone on the bean bags was zoned out, waiting for the come up or on a sudden come down, so seeing someone moving around on his left when the big crowd of people was to his right, kind of made him a little bit wary. So he turned to look.

It was a girl. She seemed to be lost. Looking from person to person. Chair to chair. He watched her as she came closer, to see if he recognised her. It took longer than he wanted to admit to realise she had a mask on. But in his defence, her bangs were hanging low over her eyes. But even with that one, he didn't think he knew her.

"You alright there, sweetheart?" He yelled as she got closer.

He'd startled her, but she looked almost relieved to be talking to someone.

"Um, yeah. I lost my friend." She laughed nervously.

"You got a friend right here, sugar." He hung his tongue out of his mouth, grinning at her, and patted the bean bag next to him.

She shrugged and plopped down, sighing as she did. Then she took her shoes off.

Bickslow just stared at her. Her feet. Then her face. She shrugged again.

"Heels were a bad choice. Once this kicks in," She shook a water bottle at him, "I wont care if the skies piss blood. I wont care if I'm wearing shoes."

He laughed at that. She smiled at him.

"Well," he said to her, "I'm not feeling it. I might get another bottle." He looked around for the raver furry girl.

"When did you finish your bottle?" Something like concern flickered in her eyes.

"I duno, like, five minutes ago?"

She laughed again, "Five minutes? Dude, you need to give it time."

"It hit flame brain pretty quickly."

"I'm going to pretend I know what that meant. But it's different for everyone. Give it about an hour, if you don't feel anything, I have a gram on me, you can have a bomb. But don't drink anymore."

Bickslow chuckled, "You sound like you know what you're talking about." She gave him a look that made him realise she did. "Alright, wait with me?" She grinned back at him, and drank more of her water.

For a while, they sat talking. The girl moved closer until she was practically on top of him. Tired of shouting across at her, he pulled her into his lap.

"This okay?" He purred in her ear. She nodded.

Their conversation continued. He felt... something. His was very aware of his hands. The skin on this mystery girls leg under his fingers. The creamy smoothness of her thigh. He felt light. Like he was floating, but still grounded. He was coming up. He looked in the girls eyes. Her pupils were like dinner plates. He actually couldn't figure out what colour they were.

But it didn't matter. Because the next second, her eyes were closed and she was kissing him. He kissed back. His mouth felt like it was having it's own rave. He flicked his tongue along the seam of her lips, and she yielded. He took control and deepened the kiss. She arched her back, pushing herself into him and moaned against his mouth. He groaned back and flipped her so she was on top of him. Fully aware of the fact that they were in a public place, but not particularly caring.

That is, until she pulled away from him. Slack jawed, he just stared at her as she stood and adjusted her skirt before blowing him a kiss. "Find me in an hour if that doesn't hit." She winked and walked away. He still stared as her hips swayed side to side and gradually disappeared into the crowd.

**GRAY**

Gray didn't much care for the music. Not to mention the heat, he couldn't escape it. Not even at the bar, away from the pulse of bodies on the dance floor. He and Juvia had gotten separated in the crowd, so he'd decided to get some whiskey. Or what this bar tried to pass off as whiskey.

"Ugh." He groused to himself, noticing Natsu and Lisanna on the dancefloor.

"I know," Juvia's voice came from behind him, causing him to almost drop his drink, "They're practically having sex. It's crass."

"And it seems to be a running theme here." He conceded, downing his whisky. It burned on the way down.

"There's something in the water." The blue haired girl nodded.

"Seems that way, for sure." Gray agreed.

"No," Juvia shook her head, pointing at the raver girls selling labeless bottle. "There's literally something in the water."

Gray looked out at the girls wending their way through everyone, selling bottles with big yellow smiley faces on.

"What?" He still didn't fully understand.

"MDMA, is my best guess. No one is going to want to drink actual alcohol here." Juvia explained, gesturing to the empty bar they were sat at. "It's too hot. They're all going to want water, but the organiser wont make enough on the cover charge, so.." She shrugged by way of explanation, letting Gray figure out that near enough everyone he knew was drinking spiked water. He couldn't take the heat anymore.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" He asked, Juvia shot up and was headed out the door before he could get off his stool.


	5. Cana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cana and Bacchus are on a comedown.

The night had turned out awesome. Cana had managed to get near enough all of her friends out to this rave Cobra had told her about. Bacchus included. They had found themselves ensconced in a little bubble in the middle of the crowd of people. Pulsing together in time with the beat. She could feel the music thrumming through her veins. She ran her fingers through her date's hair, and it felt like the most exquisite silk. Kissing him felt like being on a rollercoaster. It made her head rush, gave her vertigo. It made her want more.

_This summer is going to be amazing._

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

This was the worst comedown she'd ever had. Someone had definitely rubbed sandpaper on her eyeballs and filled her entire skull with cotton wool and wasps.

"Unghhhh." And whoever it was, got Bacchus too, judging by that noise. She threw a pillow at him before checking her phone.

_8:27am_

"Unghhhh." She pulled a pillow over her own head and tried to ignore the pounding behind her eyes. And Bacchus' snoring. She lasted 2.7 seconds before she got annoyed, and threw a second pillow at her boyfriend.

Boyfriend. That was still weird to her, it made her smile slightly. She padded into the kitchen, her bare feet grateful for the cool slate tiled floor. She turned the tap on too aggressively and managed to soak herself trying to fill a glass.

"Fuck!" she yelped, dropping the highball into the sink. She heard someone snickering behind her. Bacchus was stood in his boxers in the doorway. He yawned and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Cana saw a chance and took it, filling the tumbler and throwing water at him.

"Hey!" He jumped back as the near freezing liquid spilled down his front, soaking his underwear. Cana clutched her own bare stomach, laughing so hard it made her headache worse.

"Hah-ahhh." She pinched the bridge of her nose, making her short top ride up higher, baring the bottom of her breasts. "Aahh, no, stop." Bacchus had strode over, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She put her hand up in his face as he leaned in to kiss her.

"What?" He smiled.

"We both stink."

He quirked an eyebrow, and looked above him. Cana saw his eyes as they bore through the ceiling into the shower room, then back to her. 

-

Though she was clean, Cana felt almost no better for having showered, among other things, with Bacchus. Wasps were still warring in her skull and her eyes still felt like someone had blown smoke into them.

She was grumbling back in her bedroom when Bacchus spoke.

"Why don't you just leave tonight then, babe?"

"Ugh, I can't." She flopped her face into the towel she had been using on her hair. "uf fufuffed cerber."

Bacchus gently lifted her head by her hair. She grinned lazily at him, eyes half closed in amusement.

"Come again?" He smiled.

Cana winked, "Later, maybe." She snorted at her own joke, but as her grin faded, she spoke, "I promised Cobra." Bacchus let go of her hair, her face dropping back down into the towel in her hands.

She knew Cobra would probably understand, hell, he was probably coming down this hard too. But it had been a week already since school let out and she hadn't seen him, except for five minutes outside the warehouse the night before.

_"I have to go back in, I gave the bouncer their names." Before Cobra could shoot off, Cana grabbed his sleeve. He looked from her hand to her face, a question in his eye._

_"Please be careful." Her chocolate eyes bore into his own indigo one. He gulped, his throat bobbing._

_"Come on, Cana. I'm alway careful." He shrugged out of her grip, disappearing inside._

She had hoped to spend some time with him at the rave. But he was too busy with Brain and the others. When she'd gone 'looking for the bathroom', she'd noticed Brain's henchman, Hoteye, outside his door. She frowned, found the toilet, and headed back to the sweaty room of bodies and music.

Cana still didn't know the full extent of what Cobra was mixed up in. She didn't want to. But she worried about him.

"It's still early," Bacchus pointed out, nuzzling her neck, "We could go back to bed?"

She looked at her phone, still next to her bed, and groaned.

_9:48am_

She dropped it onto the side table, clicking the screen off, and dove back under her bedcovers. She wriggled and dropped the towel she'd been wrapped in onto the floor. Her brushed cotton sheets felt like being stroked by and angel. She didn't even care that her hair was still wet, it was Future Cana's problem.

Bacchus crawled in next to her, his skin hot as his arm snaked around her bare waist, fingers tracing the small tattoo on her hips from memory.

A small, satisfied moan escaped her sleepy mouth, and she settled against him.

His hand moved up, deft fingers outlining her ribs, her shoulder, coming to rest on her neck. He used his finger and thumb to trace small circles where her hair met the skin at the nape. Cana swam in the sensation, drowning in his touch. And he carried on, until her breaths evened out and her lips parted in her sleep.

-

She gave up. Throwing her hair into a messy bun because she couldn't find her straighteners.

"Past Cana is a bitch." She muttered, grabbing her jacket.

Bacchus had already left, sneaking out while she still slept. Cana had to give him credit though, he set her an alarm. She'd probably still be passed out otherwise.

She unlocked her car as she stalked from the front door she'd just slammed, her shoes clomping over the gravel. She knew she probably shouldn't drive in heels, but it wasn't like she was wearing stripper boots, just wedges. They went well with her denim capris and split cami.

The lights on her car winked in response to the key, and she wrenched the door open.

Cana text Cobra, telling him to be ready. She waited for a reply, but didn't get one. He was playing football with his team from school. Their last game of the school season. She didn't know who they were playing, but she knew it was a big one.

She gave up waiting, assuming he was in the shower, then turned the engine over. Her mini rumbled to life, her dash board sleepily blinking awake, her radio waiting for her to press play.

"Thank god for bluetooth." She grumbled, she hit shuffle on her playlist and backed out of the drive.

Her head was till fuzzy, but not nearly as bad as it had been. Her eyes felt better too, and she finally felt hungry.

Alice In Chains serenaded her as she half daydreamed about food. Muscle memory drove her, she only really paid attention on her surroundings, not where she was going.  
Cana pulled up at the side of the field. Cobra's game had run long. Crowds had gathered wearing both teams colours. She knew their school was sky blue and white, but she couldn't place the other team's maroon and navy. It burned somewhere in the back of her brain though.

She could see Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, all chasing a ball up the field towards him. He shouted something, Sting feigned a pass around their defender to Rogue, switching his foot at the last second. He skidded past Lyon, kicking the ball to Cobra who slammed it into the goal past a slack jawed goalie.

Roars went up on the home side, people hugging and cheering. Bickslow clapped a celebrating Cobra on the shoulder. Gajeel and the others came running over, laughing as they tackled him to the ground.

Cana couldn't help but be impressed by them all, but then again, sweaty guys in shorts would always been impressive to her. A whistle blew, the game was over. All she had to do now was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. Kinda left this one to rot, sorry.  
> ANYWAY, I fell back in love with this story. So I'm writing it again as I take a little more time on my other FT project on here (The Crossover Chronicles.)  
> Feedback and kudos are always appreciated, so let me know what you think. <3


	6. Cobra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An insight into Cobra's past allows us to understand why he is the way he is.
> 
> (This is a heavy chapter. Just so you're all aware going in.)

Cobra spotted her, leaning against her car as he came off the field. His head was still swimming, giddy from the win. _His_ winning goal. His legs hurt, and he felt like his lungs were going to explode, but he was happy. Giddy. Hell, he couldn't keep the grin from splitting his face. He made his way toward her, the glint from the key she was twirling flashing in his eye.

"Since when do they let you off the bench?" Cana said, not looking up from her phone, as he approached her.

"Since our striker nearly snapped his leg right in half." Cobra grinned at her when her eyes met his.

"Laxus broke his leg?" She stopped swinging her key around her finger. "You know, you could look less happy about that." She fought to keep the smile from her own face. Laxus was a giant jerk, but still.

"I just won us the game, Cana."

"I saw."

"We haven't beat Caelum in over 20 years."

Cana blinked at him. Registering what he said. "Caelum? Caelum Prep?" She swallowed the fear rising in her throat, moving to stand straight, away from the car. Her eyes darted between the fans in away colours.

"Yes? Cana, what's wrong?" The smile on his mouth suddenly fell away as he saw the panic in Cana's eyes. A memory flitted through his head, a conversation they had not even two weeks ago. He grabbed Cana's shoulders. Forcing her to look him in the eye. "Lucy isn't here." He told her, "Don't you think the media would be all over that?"

Cana nodded. He was right. Of course he was. Lucy Heartfilia being here would have caused a fucking riot. It was bad enough the day they'd been told she would be joining their school for her last year of formal education. Shit, his Facebook had gone into full blown meltdown, even Kinana had messaged him about it.

"So," He slid away from the subject, letting go of her, "What's the plan?"

"I need something deep fried, and wrapped in bacon. I look like shit, I feel worse. This come down is horrendous." Cana moved around to the drivers side door. "You have ten minutes to shower and get in this car, or I'm going without you."

Cobra rolled his eye at her, but complied with a grin. He jogged towards the lockers, and got himself sorted in 8 minutes.

Climbing into the car, he couldn't help but notice the mess.

"Good God, Cana." He winced, moving a skittles packet from the footwell.

She just shrugged, turning the key. He watched her, adjusting her seat, then her mirror. She really did look like a bag of ass. Her hair was dry, her skin was breaking out, the bags under her eyes looked ready to take off for a few weeks. She yawned as she signalled to turn out of her spot.

The ride was quiet, aside from the faint music drifting from the speakers. She kept yawning.

"Do you think," Cobra started, but hesitated, unsure of how she would take what he was about to say. She glanced at him, trying not to take her eyes off the road. Cobra took a deep breath, he needed to say it. Honestly, he was worried about her. "Do you think maybe, you should lay off the molly for a bit?" He stared straight ahead. Then to her when she didn't respond, she was scowling at the road. He sighed, and stared out of the window for the remainder of their journey.

Thankfully, they arrived at their destination relatively quickly.

Cana couldn't think of anywhere that did deep fried anything wrapped in bacon, so she settled on a drive-thru McDonalds. 20 nuggets, 2 fries, 3 burgers and a milkshake later, they were sat in her car by the river, watching the waves crash as she crammed as many carbs down her throat as she possibly could.

Cobra would have been disgusted if it had been anyone else, but he was honestly impressed at how she managed to eat it all.

"You're right you know." She said, slurping her milkshake.

"Hm?" Cobra mumbled around a nugget.

"About laying off the molly. At least for a bit." She took another long drink before putting the cup in the holder between them. "I feel worse and worse after it now. And it takes more for me to feel anything." She looked sad for a second, before she forced a laugh, "Cheaper nights out now though, huh?"

Cobra just nodded, he'd half expected her to fully lose her shit at him. He stuck another nugget in his mouth, he didn't know how to respond, so at least eating gave him an excuse not to. He heard her click her belt back in next to him.

"Come on then. Let's get you home." Her hand rested on the seat behind him as she backed out, and tore away onto the main road again.

-

"I need you to push this." Brain slid the bag across the mahogany table to Cobra.

He realised it was filled with smaller bags, filled with powder. Cobra felt panic rearing it's ugly head in his stomach. _Coke?_ He sat up straighter in his seat, all too aware of his surroundings. Hoteye was outside the door, but Brain's kid, Midnight, was in the room. They got on but he knew the guy was a psychopath. Two years older than him, a sophomore at Magnolia U, there were rumours he was studying dark magick, even though he says it's purely theoretical. Cobra had heard enough about him to know that he was capable of some dark stuff. Shit could very easily go south if he talked out of turn. 

Still, he wasn't comfortable with this.

"Brain, man, I only sell weed. Maybe MD. If I get caught with th-" Cobra's concerns were cut off when Brain raised his hand.

"You sell what I tell you to sell." Brain jabbed his finger onto the pile of bags.

Cobra swallowed. Nodding.

"It's 80j a gram or two for 140." Brain told him. "It's premium shit so you don't have to worry if you want a taste," He laughed, darkly, as Cobra frowned at that. "You get a third of whatever you make, but I need 2K up front for this."

"I don't have that on me." Cobra said, his breath catching in his throat.

"I guess you better find it then." Brain told him. The grey haired man went back to whatever paperwork he was doing before Cobra got here. His eyes slid up to look at him again, and he dismissed Cobra with a wave of his hand.

Outside, Cobra started panicking. If he didn't do this, he would be fucked. He definitely didn't want to. The people he sold to were his friends, some regular customers Brain got him after his last runner, Racer, met an unfortunate end in a rivalry. He didn't want to push this crap on them.

He put his face in his hands, dragging them down until they pulled his mouth. "Ugh." He groaned. 

_How did I end up this deep?_

Cobra had started selling for Brain when he was fourteen. His father had ran off when he was a toddler, and his mother had started smoking to cope with it. When weed wasn't good enough, she turned to pills. Eventually it spiralled. 

He'd come home from school, the house reeking of acrid smoke and puke. He'd drag his mother up from the floor to the sofa, covering her with a ragged blanket.

More than once he'd get phone calls from the neighbours while he was in school. "Your mum's in hospital again, kid. Do you need anything?"

"No, Mr Hoskins, thank you." He'd sigh, handing the phone back to the receptionist.

"Everything okay, Erik?" The blonde lady behind the desk would say.

He'd offer a watery smile, "Yeah, just my mum's friend asking if I needed picking up today."

She would never look convinced, but it was unprofessional of her to pry.

She died when Cobra was just 13, he'd come home from his friends house. He hadn't been out long, just a few hours. She'd been okay for a few weeks before hand. Promising things would get better. She'd started going to meetings after her last OD.

He found her, in the kitchen. She was still convulsing when he opened their back door, foam spraying from her lips, her eyes rolling back in her head.

He didn't know what to do, he panicked and ran next door to get Mr Hoskins, who got Erik to call an ambulance. He stood there, frozen while his neighbour frantically performed CPR, checking to make sure she was breathing.

By the time the paramedics got there, Erik knew it was too late.

It was a relapse, they told him. Sometimes, when people came off drugs too quickly, their bodies would go into shock. It could take a few days, it could take several months. His mum had been doing so well, but 1ml of heroin was her undoing.

Erik couldn't find it in him to cry. Even at the funeral, where he and Mr Hoskins were the only ones in attendance other than the priest.

His mum had no will. She didn't own their house, so Erik moved in with Mr Hoskins to stop him from having to go into care. Until Erik found VAMA. He didn't want to be a burden on the old man, so he enrolled quickly, securing his place and a dorm on campus. His grades at his old school were enough to earn him a part scholarship, under the promise that the rest of his tuition would be paid once he got a job.

Losing his mother had left a pretty big hole in his life, and she had left a pretty hefty bill behind for him to pay off. Her dealers weren't particularly empathetic, and he still didn't know how they found him. But, being unable to buy his way out of her debt, Brain offered him a deal, he'd give Cobra shit to sell, and he'd work the money off.

 _It was only supposed to be weed._ He groused internally as he stepped through the door of the diner he was meant to be meeting Cana in.

The bell above the door announced his arrival, sounding way more cheerful than he felt.

He found a table, and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had absolutely naff all to do today, so here is this.  
> Like I said, I've fallen back in love with this story, and while I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with it yet, it should be relatively okay.  
> Thank you all for reading, as usual.  
> Kudos and comments are always loved <3


	7. Cana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cobra asks his best friend for help

Cana was late. So fucking late. She was meant to be meeting Cobra fifteen minutes ago but she'd fallen asleep. She slammed her car door, eyeing the ominous clouds on the horizon. She ran to the door of the diner, slowing before she got close. She knew she looked like shit, her hair was still in a messy top not, a smudge of eyeliner, no concealer. She looked and felt like a crackhead.

 

It was three weeks into the summer and when she wasn't cramming pills down her gullet, she was eating shite, playing Mario Kart or she was busy with Bacchus. She'd barely seen Cobra. Sure, he'd been at the parties. He was usually the one supplying. Which meant he was back and forth with Brain half the time. They texted but he was usually busy with Brain. so when he'd called her asking to meet at the diner, she'd jumped at the chance.

 

"And now I'm late." She chastised herself as the bell above the door tinkled.

 

Cobra was scowling at her. She winced, it was much more intimidating coming from a dude with one eye, regardless of how well she knew him. He didn't even look up as a waitress set a chocolate milkshake infront of him.

 

"I am so so sorry." Cana blurted, sliding into the oversized booth across from him.

 

"It's fine." Cobra slurped up some of his shake. Another waitress came to take Cana's order while she shrugged out of her denim jacket,setting it on the seat next to her.

 

"So, what's up?" Cana watched the waitress walk away, then crossed her arms on the table infront of her.

 

"I need to borrow two grand." Cobra said, matter-of-fact, Cana blinked. "And I need you to not ask questions."

 

The end of his request got quiet as the same waitress reappeared with Cana's milkshake. Cana looked up at the girl, thanking her.

 

She watched her walk away again before turning back to Cobra and whispering "What do you mean you need two grand and I can't ask questions?" She leaned over the table in the garish pink booth, the table was too big for her to get right into Cobra's face, but she would damn well try.

 

"I mean," He sighed over his milkshake, getting back in her face and causing her to sit back down, "I need to _borrow_ two grand and I need you to not. Ask. Questions."

 

Cana eyed him suspisciously, and took a long drink of her own milkshake. Oreo's and peanut butter, it was good. Very good.

 

"You know this is taking advantage of your very rich friend and her lovely, supportive nature, right?"

 

Cobra snorted.

 

Cana rolled her eyes. "Look." She put her milkshake back down, her hands on the table either side of it and looked at him, her face was serious, but gentle. "If you're in trouble, I can help you out, but I need to know that this wont cause huge issues."

 

"I'm not in trouble."

 

It was Cana's turn to snort.

 

"Okay," His lips lifted in a half smile, "I'm not in any more trouble that usual, but I will be if I don't get this money to Brain."

 

"What the hell do you owe Brain two grand for?!" Cana whisper shouted, a couple of the other patrons threw curious glances their way.

 

"I don't!" Cobra's voice was higher, but barely, he leaned across the table again, "Can we go somewhere else?" He cast paranoid eyes around the diner.

 

-

 

Cana practically ran for the car. Partly because a summer storm had rolled in from nowhere and mostly because she needed to know what the ever loving _fuck_ was going on with Cobra.

 

Once safely inside the car, Cana turned the engine over. She drove for a minute, the silence between her and Cobra was heavy.

 

"What is going on?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the road.

 

Cobra frowned. "If I tell you, that means you're a part of it."

 

Cana looked at him then. Very briefly, stealing a confused glance before snapping her eyes straight back to the rapidly soaking street.

 

"You already asked me for 2 grand. How much less involved can I be?" She reasoned. Her lips turned down as rain fell heavier, almost too heavy for her windscren wipers to keep up. She was lucky the road they were on was straight for a good few miles, visibility was low, but at least there were no turns and minimal traffic.

 

"I know. But if I don't tell you, you have plausible deniability. If I tell you, and shit goes ass up, you could be implicated as an accessory." He hated that he knew this. That he needed to know it.

 

"Cobra." She said, "What the fuck." It wasn't even a question. Just a statement. She was in shock and couldn't process what she was being told. She wanted to scream, and throw up. _Just what the hell is he mixed up in?!_

 

"I need you to trust me." Cobra's voice was small. He was scared. Cana could hear it. she stared at him. "And I need you to watch the goddamn road, Cana, shit."

 

She looked back to the sodden highway.

 

Cana wanted to trust him. She wanted to trust that he knew what he was doing, that Brain wasn't taking full advantage of a kid in pain. But she knew different, she knew enough about Brain, and his reputation, to know that was exactly what was happening. She was terrified for Cobra.

 

She sighed, closing her eyes for a second. She grounded herself. Ready to tell him yes. That she trusted him. That even if he didn't tell her, if shit went sideways, she'd be there. He was her best friend.

 

She opened her eyes.

 

Lightning struck the road in front of them. Cana pulled hard on the steering wheel in panic. The tires screeched despite the rain, veering left at an awkward angle. Cana leaned when the car tilted, willing it to stay on four wheels. She couldn't. Metal crunched around her. Her head thudded, dully, against the velvet interior. Her eyes shook in her skull, then the world went black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im really sorry to do this to you all, but I'm taking a short break from this story. So it'll be a couple weeks before the next chapter.  
> I'm an asshole. I know.  
> Please leave feedback :) thank you all!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> The book that fell out of Cana's glove box was Ultraviolet by RJ Anderson. It's fantastic.


End file.
